40 CFR § 3.4 - How does this part affect enforcement and compliance provisions of Title 40?

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t40/s3.4"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "40 CFR § 3.4 - How does this part affect enforcement and compliance provisions of Title 40?"
title_number: 40
title_name: "Protection of Environment"
section_number: "3.4"
section_name: "How does this part affect enforcement and compliance provisions of Title 40?"
chapter_name: "ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY"
subchapter_number: "A"
subchapter_name: "GENERAL"
part_number: "3"
part_name: "CROSS-MEDIA ELECTRONIC REPORTING"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-03-24"
last_updated: "2026-03-24"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "7 U.S.C. 136 to 136y; 15 U.S.C. 2601 to 2692; 33 U.S.C. 1251 to 1387; 33 U.S.C. 1401 to 1445; 33 U.S.C. 2701 to 2761; 42 U.S.C. 300f to 300j-26; 42 U.S.C. 4852d; 42 U.S.C. 6901-6992k; 42 U.S.C. 7401 to 7671q; 42 U.S.C. 9601 to 9675; 42 U.S.C. 11001 to 11050; 15 U.S.C. 7001; 44 U.S.C. 3504 to 3506."
regulatory_source: "70 FR 59879, Oct. 13, 2005, unless otherwise noted."
cfr_part: "3"
---


# 3.4 How does this part affect enforcement and compliance provisions of Title 40?

(a) A person is subject to any applicable federal civil, criminal, or other penalties and remedies for failure to comply with a federal reporting requirement if the person submits an electronic document to EPA under this part that fails to comply with the provisions of § 3.10.

(b) A person is subject to any applicable federal civil, criminal, or other penalties or remedies for failure to comply with a State, tribe, or local reporting requirement if the person submits an electronic document to a State, tribe, or local government under an authorized program and fails to comply with the applicable provisions for electronic reporting.

(c) Where an electronic document submitted to satisfy a federal or authorized program reporting requirement bears an electronic signature, the electronic signature legally binds, obligates, and makes the signatory responsible, to the same extent as the signatory's handwritten signature would on a paper document submitted to satisfy the same federal or authorized program reporting requirement.

(d) Proof that a particular signature device was used to create an electronic signature will suffice to establish that the individual uniquely entitled to use the device did so with the intent to sign the electronic document and give it effect.

(e) Nothing in this part limits the use of electronic documents or information derived from electronic documents as evidence in enforcement or other proceedings.